Supporting member



Aug. 23, 1938; lF. A. NIEMANN SUPPORTING MEMBER Filed May 13, 1936INVENTOR.

- maw Patented, Aug. 23, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING Mamma FrederickA. Niemann,

Chicago, Ill., assignor to Felt & Tarrant Mfg. Co., Chicago, lll., acorporationof Illinois Application May 13,

3 Claims.

ject to be supported and another part mounted,

thereon so as to be readily movable to operative or inoperative positionand be automatically retained in either of such positions.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a foldingleg member having a novel type of `joint which enables movement of theleg from folded to extended position in one motion accompanied by anautomatic locking of the leg in such extended position.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, whentaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a supporting member embodying thefeatures of the invention, .with the leg portion in extended position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken sub- 30. stantially on theline 2-2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, with the leg portionof the supporting member in folded or inoperative position; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the supporting or foldingleg member illustrated comprises a disk II adapted to be rigidly securedin the usual manner to the drawing board, distribution board, `or thelike (not shown) which is to be supported, as by means of screwsextending through apertures I2 in the disk. The disk II is also providedwith a depressed portion I3 and an aperture I4 located centrally thereof(Fig. 2).

Extending downwardly through the aperture I4 is a stud l5 having acircumferential flange I6 at its upper end bearing against the uppersurface of the depressed portion I3 of the disk II. The stud I isrigidly secured to the disk II in any suitable manner, such as bywelding. The main portion of the stud l5 is cylindrical in shape and isprovided with a longitudinal slot Il extending upwardly from its lowersurface to a point ,adjacent the flange I6. The stud I5 is also providedwith a horizontal bore IB disposed 193s, smal No. 19,504

(ci. 24a-iss) at right angles to the slot I'I and having a reducedportion I9 extending outwardly a short distance from one of the sidesurfaces of the slot I1 for a purpose to be later described.

A link 2I is positioned with its upper end within the slot I1 of thestud I5, and is pivotally mounted on a pin 22 which is disposed within.the bore I8. One end of the pin 22 is reduced to fit the smaller portionI9 of the bore I8 and to provide a shoulder which abuts against the sidesurface of the slot I'I. The outer end oi this reduced portion of thepin 22 may then be riveted against the shoulder formed at the outer endof the reduced portion I9 of the bore I8 to secure the pin 22 to thestud I5.y In this manner the pin 22 does not extend beyond the outersurface of the stud I5.

The link 2I is provided with a longitudinal slot 23, and the outer edgesof the link are rounded so asto fall substantially within the curvedplane of the outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the stud I5when the link 22 is in its vertical position oi Fig. 2. A tubular member24, comprising the supporting leg-proper, is adapted to fit slidinglyover the main cylindrical portion of the stud I5, as shown in Fig. 2. Astop pin 25 extends through the slot 23 in the link 2| and is rigidlymounted in the walls of the tubular member 24. Adjacent its other end,the tubular member 24 is provided with a cross-pin 26 to which isanchored one end of a coil spring 2'I, the other end of which engagesthe slotted end of the link 2l. The tubular member 24 is thusresiliently secured to the disk II and is movable thereto withindefinite limits.

The lower end of the bore of the tubular member 24 is threaded at 28(Fig. 2) to receive a reduced threaded end portion 29 of a rod 3l,`comprising an extension of the tubular member 24. The other end of therod 3| is bored and tapped at 32, and is adapted to receive an insert orplug 33 made of rubber, or the like, to prevent slipping of the supportor injury to the surface upon which it rests. It will be readilyapparent that the plug 33 may be inserted in the threaded bore 2B of thetubular member 24 and the rod 3| omitted, or other extension memberslsimilar to the rod 3| added, to provide a supporting leg of any desiredlength.

The exterior surfaces of the tube 24 and rod 3i are knurled for aportion of their length, as indicated at 34 and 35, respectively, tofacilitate movement thereof relative to each other and to the disk l lIn use, the instant supporting member is in its extended or verticalposition of Figs. 1 and 2 with the upper end of the tube or leg 24surrounding the stud l5. j In this operative position, the end of thetube 24 is urged into firm contact with the depressed portion I3 of thedisk il, to provide a very rigid supporting structure.

When it is desired to move the tube or leg 24 to inoperative or foldedposition, as shown in Fig. 3, it is merely pulled downwardly away fromthe disk Il against the tension of spring 21 until its upper end isslightly below the lower end of the stud I5. The tube 24 and link 2l maythen be swung about the pivot pin 22 into a substantially horizontalposition, that is, into an inoperative or folded position in which thelongitudinal axes of the members 24 and 2l are parallel to the plane ofthe disk il (Fig. 3). The several parts areV resiliently maintained inthis position by means of the spring 21 urging the tube 24 into firmcontact with the side surface of the stud l5.

In moving the tube or leg 24 back to extended or operative position, itis pulled longitudinally away from the stud I5,- and swung with the link2i about the pivot pin 22 into a perpendicular position relative to thedisk Il, where it will be automatically locked in place by the action ofthe spring 21. Or, such movement of the leg 24 from folded to operativeposition may be accomplished by a uni-directional impulse, since pivotalmovement only of the members 24 and 2| from their position of Fig. 3will result in the endof the tube 24 being cammed on the outer surfaceof the stud i5 until it reaches a position in which it can slide overand surround the stud. This unidirectional impulse may be applieddirectly to the leg 24 or indirectly by a snapping or shaking movementof the object to be supported .to which the disk Il is secured. y

In'any of the longitudinal movements of the vtube or leg 24 away fromthe stud l5 and against the tension of the spring 21, the pin 25, inconjunction with the slot 23 in the link 2|, will prevent completeseparation or disconnection of the several parts of the supportingstructure from each-other.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form,

y construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferredembodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a folding support, an attaching plate adapted to be secured to anobject to be supported, a downwardly extending stud mounted on saidplate, a link pivotally mounted on said stud having an elongated slottherein, a tubular leg member resiliently secured to said link, and apin mounted in said leg and extending through said slot for limiting therelative movement between said leg and said link.

2i. In a folding support, an attaching plate adapted to be secured to anobject to be supported, a downwardly extending stud mounted on saidplate, a link pivotally mounted on said stud having an elongated slottherein, a tubular leg member, an extension spring housed within saidleg member and secured at one end thereto and at the other end to saidlink, and a pin mounted in said leg and extending through said slot tolimit movement of said leg against the action of said spring betweenoperative and inoperative positions, said leg abutting against said studto limit movement thereof by said spring in inoperative position andembracing said stud and abutting against said plate to limit movementthereof by said spring in operative position.

3. In a folding support, an attaching plate, comprising a flat portionadapted to be secured to an object to be supported, and an embossedportion spaced downwardly from the plane of said flat portion and havingan aperture therein, a stud having a iiange disposed within the embossedportion of said plate below the plane of said flat portion and securedthereto and a body portion extending downwardly through said aperture, alink pivotally secured to the body portion of said stud and having anelongated slot therein.'

a tubular leg member, a. springdisposed within said leg and connected atone endthereto and at the other end to said link, and a pin mountedv insaid leg and extending through said slot to limit outward movementv ofsaid leg relative to said link, whereby said leg may be moved relativeto said plate between operative and inoperative positions and is adaptedin operative position to abut against said plate and completely concealsaid stud and said link.

FREDERICK A. NIEMANN.

